Kids who built Sherwood camp respond to 'shameful' remarks

Nick Charity

Following widespread speculation around campsites in Sherwood Forest - the group of friends who actually built the camp have damned those who brought race into the issue.

Reports emerged on Facebook, and were reported by the Chad that a large group of people, described as Eastern European by one local source, and supposedly chopping down trees, hunting deer and threatening passers-by who discovered them.

The treehouse 'camp' as it appears now, hidden in Sherwood Forest. A surce has claimed it has been used to live in by a large group of people now living in the woodland. Police have refuted the claims.

One camp in particular appeared to be very elaborate and captured the attention of the national media as it was claimed to be built by a group of Eastern Europeans - fueling outrage on social media - although it has now been confirmed as a treehouse and was built by local teens in the summer of 2010.

Brad Dury, Michaela White, and their friends who constructed the elaborate design have now come forward to tell of their disappointment at those who jumped to conclusions about the supposed group of migrants living in Sherwood Forest.

Brad Dury said: "The truth is me and a few friends just decided to build it in 2010 when we were bored in the summer. We wanted somewhere to camp and have a party, as you do.

"We never chopped down any of the trees we used ones that had already been knocked down and pieced it all together. It took about five of us to put the arched trunk up there!"

In fact it's become the object of pilgrimages to the woods for young people looking for somewhere to camp.

Brad added: "We had one weekend up there and left it but in the six six years since I do know of kids that have been up to play there and camped in it.

"I'm surprised its still there I couldn't believe it when it popped up."

And when the news broke that someone was claiming immigrants had built the treehouse, the friends jumped to correct the reports.

"My phone was blowing up with messages off people saying 'didn't we build that?' I thought yes we did, we need to say something."

Michaela White pictured at the treehouse when she was a teenager - the friend are now all in their mid-twenties. Courtesy Jessica RImmington.

Their friend Jessica Rimmington used to join the group for nights in the forest when she was a teenage.

Now 22, she said: "It was built as a leaving present for one of the lads going in the army.

"It was built for such a beautiful reason, with the end of a group of teenagers' summers together before they went on to begin adult life.

"I think it's disgusting that someone's made such a silly story up. There's many wonderful memories up there for many people and for it be stained by this silly story is horrendous.

"Many people have said disgusting things about the story, then get mad when I've shown them my photos of the treehouse! I'm very tired of people arguing with me and saying 'yes people are living up there' when it's quite blatant that they are not."

Jessica also referred to our video as we investigated claims by an Edwinstowe man, Alan, who said he had encountered people living in the Forest.

She said: "The man within the video has made a judgemental view on something with no evidence but his own imagination. You can clearly see with in the video that the flooring of the tree house has dead leaves on it. His assumption to blame foreigners is disgusting and embarrassing. The man in the video should be ashamed of himself. He has concocted a wonderfully entertaining story to express his anti EU view however that is all that it is, a fictional story."

"I think he should sit down, have a pint of fosters and find a better hobby to control his wild imagination. Maybe woodwork! The truth in his tale is as real as unicorns and fairies."

Trending

LIVE UPDATES: Road closures, weather warnings and advice for motorists

Egyptian student dies three weeks after being attacked by girl gang in Nottinghamshire